Relay



Jam-27', 1931. R. s. TICE ET AL RELAY Filed Feb. 25, 1929 11v VENTOR 5. A L. HULL-0MB. 7755 -r Co- A TTOR NE Y5.

Patented Jan. "27, 1931 RELAY 9 Application filed set-ma 25', 1929. i seii li-no. seaeszl'i The present invention relates to improve- 1 ,ments in relays and moreparti'cularly constitutes a further development of the, invention shown in-Patent No. 1,681,446, to BenbeniS. Tice. v j I The object of the inventionshown in the *latter patent was to provide a thermostatcontrolledcircuit arranged in such a manner hat electromagnets, responsiblefor the clos ingv and'openmg of a-heat1ngc1rcu1t and subject to control by a thermostatic element would become 'deenergized immediately after 7 havingbecome active, so that the thermostatic element could'move away from its contact suming therein.

under the influence of changed conditions i'vithout causing any arcing,

. While the prcsent'invention serves sub-Stan tially' the same purpose, Iitfis intended to in- I troduce ;a novel relay particularly adapted for this particular circuit. V

Further-objects and-advantages of our invention will appear as the speoification proceeds. r 1 The preferred form of'our invention illustrated, in the accon' panying drawing, in which Figure 1 shows a wiring ing-the circuit;

Figureflis aside elevation of our relay; and v i Figure 3, atop plan View thereof.

diagram explain- Figure 4, a fragmentary View showing a modified form of contact mounting.

While we have shown only the preferred form of our-invention,- it should beiunder-l stood that various changes or modlficat ons may be made within the scope of the claims hereto attached without departing from the spirit of the invention.

The general idea of our invention may be best understood by reference to Figure 1, from which 1t appears that the main circ'ult comprising the wires 1 and 2 has a suitable" heating device 3, or any other currentcon-' device, and a switch 4 connected i her 27 also constitutes an armature for a comprises two spring elements 6 mounted in spaced relation on a base 7 and The switch 4 the armature 8 of an electromagnet 9.. The latter is mounted on the bottom member 11 switch.

two contacts 6 when the armature is attracted bytheelectroma'ghet. Normally, a spring 16 holdsthe armaturein an inactire position.

Theelecti on1agnet 9,forms part of a-branchc1rcu1t-shunted acrossthe' ma n switch and comprising thewire 1 7,,the1 stat onary con-1 I taet, 1 8,a movable contact-J19 and the wire'21 The movable cont act 19- forms part of, ather mostat specifically designed for-the presentof arrectangular fraine'12 and between the two Contact members '6," While the armature is hinged toone end Wall of the frame, as shown 1 'at 13,-.and eXte'ndsfromthe-re over the armature and beyond tl'1e1same,being formed with a c'ross'piece. 14 adapted to interconnect the purpose, butadaptedfor other purposes,

is described plicat-io'n, SeriaLNo. 342,651, filed February 25,1929. For the present purposes, it is sufii- ClQ-Ilt to say that the thermostat c'omprisestwo Y directionor the other under jthe influence of changes in temperature and establishesicontact either with the stationary contactf18, or

with another:(jontactv shown at '26. It ill seen that when the points 18 and 1 9. contact, the'magnet 9: becomes energized, attracts the armature 8 andlthereby closes the main vThe closing of the, main-switch withdraws practically all the current from the branch circuit,so that there is no arcinglwhen, the points 18 and 19 separate 7 Immediately upon actuating the arr'nature 8, the electromagnet 9 therefore becomes pracmany deenergilz'edpandfinorderto hole the armature 8 in the switch-closing position, We rovide -a latciielemmt 27 piyo't'ed to H the bottom member of the frame, as shown at 28, and urged by a spring 29 into locking engagement with'the'armature 8; The latch memsec'ondelectromagnet 31 mounted .on the sec- ,a'nd this thermostat, roughlyindicated at 22, j

and claimed in a co-pendmg apend end wall of are frame '12 and is with} drawn from its locking engagement. with the armature 8 when'the electromagnet 31 is ener gized. This latter electromagnet forms part of a circuit including the wire 32, the stationary Contact 26, the movable contaotl9 and the wire 21 It will be noted that this second branch circuit is in series with the main switch and is shunted across the heating element 2. hen this branch circuit become-s active, the clectroinagnet 3l withdraws the latch member 27 from its switch-locking posltion and allows the main switch to open. l-t

willbe noted that immediately upon the'opening ot the main switch, the current ceases to flow-in the second branch circuit containing the electromagnet31, sinceithis branch-circuit is in series with the main switch. I

The operation of the device will be readily understood from the foregoing description.

,When the temperature drops below a. certain predetermined degree, .the thermostat causes thepoints18 and 19 to contact, whereby the electromagnet 9 is energized, the armature 8 attracted and the main switch closed,

which causes the heater to become active.

The closing of the main'switch withdraws practicallyall the current from thebranch circuit. so that the electlromagnet 9 immediately becomes deenergized, while thelatch closing position.

member 27 holds the armature 8 in switch- 7 As thetemperature rises beyond a. predetermined degree, the thermostat causes the point 19 to separate from the point 18 and to snap over to point 26, thereby closing the second branch circuit. It should be noted that no arcingwill be caused by the snapping over of the thermostat contact,

since at the time it occurs, there is no current in the branch circuit contaimng the electromagnet 9. The second branch circuit is now switch; Therefore, as soon asthe temperature has cooled down to apredetermined degree again for, causing. the thermostat contact 19 to snap over to the contact 18, this change again will be eifocted without any arcing at the contacts.

A modified form of mounting for the contact member 6 is shown in Figure 4:-

In this form, the contact member consists 'l/Veclaim: 1. In a relay of the character described, aframe including a base member and two end members, an electromagnet mounted on the base member, a circuit having two contacts on opposite sides of the electromagnet, an armature hinged to anendmernber so as to lie over the Telectromagnet and having means bridging'the twocontacts when the armature is attracted and means'' normally urging the armature "into inactive position, a-latch member hinged-to the base and adapted for locking engagement with the armature whenthe latter moves into active position and a second electromagnet mounted on the other end member and adapted to withdrawthe second electroma'gnet is energized.

latch member from locking position when the *2. In relay of the character described,

a main circuit containing a current con'sum-C. ing device and a switch including as mov-I able member an armature, a branchcircuit shunted across the switch and contalnlng an electromagnet 1n operative proximity of-the armature for closing the switch when enere gized, a latch member for locking the armature .in switch-closing position, a second branch circuit in series with the switch and shunted across the current-consuming device and having an electromagnet'mountedrelative to the latch member for withdrawing the same from looking position when-thesecond electromagnet is energized and a thermostatic control elementforming part of both branch circuits and adapted to close either while opening the other under predetermined conditions. v

3. In a relay of the character described; a frame includinga base member, two end membersand a top member, an eleetro-magnet monnted on the base, an armature hinged to one of the end members so as to horizontally surmount the electro-magnet, a second eloctro-magnet secured to the other end memher, and a second armature hinged relative to the second electro-magnetandadapted to serve as latch for the first armature, the armatures being arranged to cooperate with the frame members in providing paths for the magnetic flux when the respective electro 7 magnets are energized.

REUBEN'S. TICE.

ARTHUR'L. HOLCOMB.

eta straight strip of spring material having its rear-end secured to the topof. a block 36 otcconducting material by meansot screws I 37, the block being secured to the base 7 by means of screws 38 and being formed. with a perforation 39 into which the lead wire 41 is pas sed; A screw 42 threaded into the block from the top holds the wire 41 in place. 

